The Gujarati translation of "Dial D For Don", the English book penned by former CBI joint director Neeraj Kumar, was launched here today.
On the occasion, the author spoke about two Gujarat-based gangsters--Abdul Latif and Raju Anadkad who operated in 1980s and 1990s.
Kumar, who details inside stories of the CBI missions to nab notorious criminals including those involved in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, said he shared a strong connection with the Gujarat police due to an operation to nab Latif, a dreaded criminal operating in the 1980s and 1990s.
Latif, linked to fugitive Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was involved in landing of arms and ammunitions used in the Mumbai blasts, Kumar said.
"Latif was clsoely related to Dawood Ibrahim, and was also involved in the Mumbai bomb blasts and in landing of arms and ammunitions. The CBI worked very closely with the Gujarat Police and we managed to get Latif in Delhi. That story is also there. Emotionally, I have a strong connection with the Gujarat Police because of that one operation," he said.
Recounting the operation, Kumar said the CBI landed at the Ahmedabad airport from Delhi along with Latif on October 11, 1995.
"The scene at the airport, the meeting with then Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, and the kind of treatment I got here (was overwhelming)," he said.
Kumar mentioned a sub-inspector's comment that they had done a great job by tracking down Latif.
"Whenever the police went to arrest any criminal, they would say first arrest Latif as we are small fish...all those things have stayed with me," he said.
Latif later died in an encounter with the Gujarat Police. His life was captured on celluloid in Bollywood movie titled "Raees", in which actor Shahrukh Khan played the lead role.
The book also has description of another gangster from Gujarat, Raju Anadkad, who was involved in kidnapping of businessman Bhaskar Parikh, he said.
Gujarat DGP Pramod Kumar, who was the guest of honour at the event, said the book attempted to detail cases which are not covered in entirety by the media.
"Truths, half truths and lies are placed in the public domain. What we come to know about important cases are trailer and not the complete stories," he said.
"Neeraj Kumar has narrated true information on crimes and criminals in a very interesting manner. His photographic memory, enormous ability to connect information, frank narration makes the book an absolute reading," he said.
Gujarat Chief Secretary J N Singh, who was also present at the event, said that 1990s saw a spurt in the crime in the country due to opening up of the economy, "which attracted ganglords from across the world to India, and particularly to Mumbai, its financial hub".
"Globalisation increased, so crime networks were looking at India in a big way...(The time also saw) the rise of fundamentalism and reverse fundamentalism which was not related to one particular religion itself," he said.
"All these factors put together attracted a large number of criminals and Mumbai became the epicentre because it was the biggest financial capital of this side of south Asia," he said, adding that the book also has a Gujarati connection.
The book details the evolution of underworld gangs of the country.
The English book was translated in Gujarati by Bhargav Trivedi and was published by Rajkot-based K Books.
The original English version was first published in the year 2015.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
